{"id":350891,"date":"2025-12-17T10:37:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/350891\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T10:37:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T10:37:08","slug":"marilyn-manson-wins-dismissal-of-ex-assistants-sexual-battery-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/350891\/","title":{"rendered":"Marilyn Manson Wins Dismissal of Ex-Assistant’s Sexual Battery Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tA Los Angeles judge on Tuesday dismissed the sexual assault and battery lawsuit filed against Marilyn Manson<\/a> by his former assistant, Ashley Walters, and vacated a trial that had been scheduled to begin next month.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn his ruling, the judge said the evidence showed that Ms. Walters\u2019 claims fell outside the statute of limitations and could not be revived based on her argument that her memories of the alleged abuse had been suppressed.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe have a situation where the complaint was not filed until about 10 years after the operative events. I\u2019m not able to find that the delayed discovery rule is applicable,\u201d Los Angeles County Judge Steve Cochran said at the morning hearing. \u201cI don\u2019t have the authority to rule that the delayed discovery doctrine would apply under the circumstances that exist in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA lawyer for Walters said she would explore an appeal. \u201cWe\u2019re disappointed. We think this is the wrong decision. The delayed discovery rule is specifically to address situations where victims of sexual abuse deserve the ability to seek justice when their abuser has used tactics to prevent them from coming forward,\u201d Walters\u2019 lawyer, Kate McFarlane, told Rolling Stone after the hearing. \u201cThis is something we see time and time again, and it seems the law hasn\u2019t caught up to the science and what\u2019s right for victims. But I don\u2019t believe this is the end of the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn her lawsuit, Walters alleged that Manson, born Brian Warner, lured her into a job in 2010 by complimenting her photography and offering an artistic collaboration. She claims Warner later whipped her, threw plates at her, pinned her down, bit her ear, forced her hand into his underwear, and threatened her. She recalled seeing Warner throw a prop skull at his former fianc\u00e9e, Evan Rachel Wood, \u201cso hard\u201d that it allegedly left \u201ca large, raised welt on her stomach.\u201d Warner denied the allegations.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s gratifying, after all these years, that a judge can just look at the facts and see that once again, Brian Warner was wrongfully accused,\u201d Warner\u2019s lawyer, Howard King, said after winning the motion. \u201cIt\u2019s nice for him to get some justice, though it was at great personal cost. Now he can move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\tDuring the hearing, McFarlane argued that Walters deserved revival of her claims because she allegedly was manipulated by Warner in a way that mirrored child sexual abuse. She urged the court to look at cases where children suffered from repressed memories before seeking justice as adults.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe have a young woman who was in her twenties, and her employer was in his forties. There\u2019s an innate power dynamic,\u201d she argued. \u201cHe\u2019s a very well-known, high-powered celebrity with a lot of pull in the industry, a lot of clout. This was a young woman barely into her adult years being manipulated by someone with a lot of power.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\tWalters stepped forward<\/a> in February 2021 as multiple women, including Wood, first accused Warner of intense physical and emotional abuse<\/a>. A prior judge dismissed Walters\u2019 lawsuit in May 2022<\/a>, finding that the allegations were too old. Walters fought the ruling and saw her lawsuit revived on appeal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tWarner, 56, has reached out-of-court settlements with several of his accusers, including actress Esm\u00e9 Bianco<\/a>. He previously decided to drop a lawsuit against Wood<\/a><\/p>\n